Clara's Favorite Soldier
by The Lady Mary
Summary: Clara and the Doctor take a trip to the snowy planet Zuckereis where they must save the people from the King Mauslodat. In order to this, Clara must rely on her childhood stories to help save the day and rescue the Doctor. Christmas themed. Rated T for later chapters. Clara/Doctor, Clara/OC


**Hey everyone, this is my very first DW fanfic (let alone very first fanfic) and decided to give it a go. (I promise it gets so much better...the concept, I'm told is perfect). **

**Hope you enjoy! And I will try to update when I get the chance!**

Chapter One - The Glass Wardrobes

"Mum, why do I have to go to ballet today? I'm just going to be the laughing stalk of the academy. I mean, look at my pointe shoes! They have duck tape where the dog had been biting at it!" I complained with a pout. My mum knelt down next to me as I sat on the stair.

"I know money is a bit tight nowadays and your father is working a second job, but I'll tell you what...I'll get you a brand new pair of dance shoes for Christmas if you promise me one thing." She said as she lifted my chin up, "No frowns...and who cares what the other girls say. You're going to be the best dancer out there!"

"Isn't that what every mother is supposed to say to their daughters?"

"Yes but not _every_ mother can say their daughter is going to be the star in the Nutcracker this season." She handed me my bag and crimson coat, "And your father and I will have front row seats to see you shine!"

She always gave me so much confidence when I needed it most...

"CLARA!" a familiar voice shouted as if under water. I was waking up, but I didn't want to leave this memory just yet.

'I love you mum' I thought but the words were too slow to form and before I knew it my eyes had flung open to the doors swinging wildly open. I must have fallen asleep in the spare bedroom within the many halls of the TARDIS. Next thing I know my crazy friend is spinning and bouncing all over the room like a giddy child on Christmas morning.

"Clara you are not going to believe where I've taken us! I've always wanted to go back and now we're here! We're actually here!" he shouted with enthusiasm.

"Where's here?" I asked.

"I have been trying to navigate the TARDIS to come here for years but always got lost. Not an easy place to find in the Correngium Galaxy. But now I've done it! Oh the things I will show you, Clara! Stories have rang across worlds of this place!"

"Doctor! Where are we?!" The excitement was so contagious I couldn't help but ask with a giggle of anticipation. He had taken my hand and pulled me out of bed and led me back to the console in a haste.

"Zuckereis, the land of much joy, dancing, celebration, and most importantly FOOD! The sugarplums are most delectable I must say," he said as he flung the doors of the TARDIS wide open. "And wait until you see the trees, they're huge! And then there's-"

But the site was not one very joyous...everything seemed very dark and quiet.

"Doctor?" I called as he stepped out with quite a stunned look on his face.

"I don't believe it..." he gasped.

As I stepped out I noticed a huge glass wardrobe full of what looked like wooden soldiers next to a grand fireplace. There were bars and locks entrapping them in a prison.

"What? They're just toy soldiers," I noted, still unsure what the panic was.

"Oh Clara...I'm so sorry. I've brought you into a warzone. These are no toy soldiers. These are men transformed from their real selves into wooden nutcrackers and caged as hostages," he softly spoke as if at a funeral.

"Nutcrackers?" I said with criticism. "You mean like from the storybooks? But that's just made up."

"No...it's real alright..." he seemed to have lost focus on the conversation and got his sonic screwdriver out and tried to unlock the wardrobe.

In that moment I looked around and noticed that we were in a palace room adorned with glass wardrobes full of various "toys". There were no windows and the walls were decorated in a dark red paint with only the candle lit chandeliers to light the way. In the center of the room was this beautifully adorned tree that was covered in bulbs, tinsel, and I could scarcely see the top of it.

"Doctor, is it Christmas?"

"Yes and no. The people here worship many Spirits. Every year for 25 months they celebrate the season of the Giving Spirit which involves customs similar to Christmas traditions." He said, still focused on his lock picking abilities, "It's quite a beautiful place when the snow starts to fall".

"So then why are you so keen to unlock a cabinet of nutcrackers? Is the evil mouse king going to come and get us?" I joked but the joke didn't last very long. The Doctor stopped for a moment and walked over to me.

"We must be on our toes Clara. It's no mouse we're dealing with. It's the Mauslodat. They give off the appearance of mice but the king has the power to transfigure anyone or anything and freeze them in time," He whipped out his screwdriver again. "I cannot leave the people of this land in the hands of such abominable creatures."

"Well let me help? I can scout for you?" I hated being completely useless.

"Okay but please be careful. Don't wander into the shadows or any other rooms. I believe we are in the king's Palace. There must be a reason why the TARDIS sent me to this specific location and time. I think if I just get these people out of the wardrobes they should return to their natural state. But these locks are rather tricky. Let me know if you come across anything strange."

"I'm on it!" as I set off investigating.

The room was so dimly lit that it was hard to see the wooden floor at times. I must have passed at least a dozen more glass wardrobes until I reached the end of the room. There was no door or exit of any kind but I came across this huge framed painting. It looked like something straight out of the Neoclassicism era. The painting itself was quite horrific and graphic in the sense that it was of a mouse with seven heads attacking a human who looked to be in agony. I had never seen such a grotesque piece of art before! It didn't take me long to finish observing the disturbing work and decided to retreat. I turned on my heel to head back to only find myself caught with a dagger at my throat.

**Let me know what you think and please be nice. It is after all my first.**

**Next chapter should be up in the next week if all goes well.**


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